"Now that you don't have to hide it, you can accept customers yourself again. But first get ready. Clean up that blood. Then fix up the room so it looks like it's yours alone. After that, a bath. Only then may you dress yourself. After all that, take some clients." Ordered the fox-woman.

"As you wish." The slave fought through the pain to get her words out.

The truth was, she had been looking forward to resuming her long-time career for some time. Her loins aching for far too long with an unscratched itch. There were two types of prostitutes. The ones who choose to do so because they enjoy it. And those who had their choice taken away. Be it by poverty, or from the lack of opportunity, or of ability. Or even by force. Madam Jodie had originally been the first type.

But not anymore.

Now that she would have to be selling herself for the profit of "a mere beast"? One that until recently was rightfully her own property? Now she hated the very idea.

It didn't even occur to her that she had herself been doing exactly the same thing to thirty beastkins before. Or that she has been preparing the fox beastkin Dara, as well as another five young girls for the same fate. To her, and most every other human, they were mere beasts. Whose feelings or opinions didn't matter to any actual people.

.

While ruminating on this, she already finished cleaning her former bedroom. As she had been ordered. If the fox wants it to look like it's really hers, then maybe it will become so once more. She could only hope. While cleaning herself of the grime of the city and also from her labors.

One of the benefits of having your home inside your business is that you could build your own private bath. Perhaps even as big as you want it. Right next to your work-office. Another is the really short commute.

But probably the biggest problem is that you can't just fake a sick day to get some time off. Moreso for over a full week. Keeping everything a secret meant she couldn't take clients personally anymore. She was not just the brothel's owner, but its highest rated worker. By now, her 'beast emporium' had fallen from the close ranked second-best brothel in town, to barely the third. To add insult to that injury, her personal prestige had taken a huge hit along with her business'.

What's more, the bottom line was suffering as well. But this was no longer her problem, as everything that was hers, now effectively belongs to "that damned fox." In everything but public knowledge. And that fact in itself, was another of her problems.

At this point in her introspection, she broke down crying. At least a daily occurence since that terrible night ten days past.

¤

Rex had just finished with his own bath. The second one today. The first one was for his travel-grime, the later one for their love juices. Now he was meeting up with his slaves to ask how the sales went in the guildhall.

It was still too early for dinner, for most people. So the dining room in the golden goose was still less than half full. He sat himself at one of the smaller tables where there was more floor space. His four slaves knelt on the floor next to it. The tigress still nearly a full head taller than the wolf twins. A common rule among eating establishments was that "chairs are for people, not beasts."

After ordering the day's special for himself, he started in. "How much was it, Vela."

His wolf-girl answered "147 gold, 76 silver master."

He slapped the table in anger. "That much should have gotten at least 200! Maybe even 220!"

Her twin Rolaf spoke up. "There's been a lot of drake scales brought in recently. Driving the price down."

"Did I ask your opinion?" His ears fell back with fear of repercussions. And of concussions. *sigh* "What's done is done. How much do you each estimate your repairs will be?"

"Four gold sixty for repairs. Another eight gold sixty for replacements." he offered.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Another eighteen for mine." said Pan the tigress.

Vela added "Four thirty for me." Most of which counted toward buying new arrows.

His last slave, the rat Lule added "Nothing here."

"Why can't you three be more like him?" scolded the Magister.

Luckily for them, his food arrived right then. They were hopeful he would forget the question, so they wouldn't metaphorically have to dig a latrine pit to jump into by answering.

Technically they could have answered him, but with only two simple answers available to them. 'We fight differently' or 'If you would let me have better equipment in the first place..' Nothing they could explain to him would lessen his ire. In fact it may provoke it instead.

After he had about half of his meal, he muttered to himself. "Eleven large gold of profit for three weeks of delving. That's still impressive for a silver rank team." Then he called to the waitress. "Hey sugar, what's available for dessert today?"

She stopped at his table to refill his ale from her pitcher, while answering his question. "We have honey-cakes, three for a silver. Or seasonal fruit tarts for two silvers apiece. Currently raspberries, blackberries or currants."

"I'll splurge today, honey. Honey cakes and a currant tart please. Oh, and get them something too." He waves to indicate his hungry battle slaves.

She came back about a minute later with the two desserts and four bowls of slightly-better-than-gruel on her heavily loaded tray. One of them markedly bigger than the others.

The wreckers continued to refresh themselves after a grueling period of work. Made worse by the more than day long return hike with four of them carrying heavy packs back to civilization.

Meanwhile the master of the local adventurer's guild was fuming at their apparent slacker attitude. [What the fuck is taking them so long? Rex is literally the only one this territory has, who's qualified to handle that damned criminal mage.]

¤

Now, Jodie finally made her entrance to her brothel's lobby slash tavern hall. Her button-up bodice left totally unbuttoned. It was held closed instead by a sash tucked just under her breasts, tied like a ribbon across her front. Her massive mammaries threatening to escape with each of her movements.

The drinks here were expensive, and with a minimum as well. But they only serve the good stuff, and the even better stuff. Made totally worth it to their clientele, as all of the waitstaff was entirely in the nude. As well as being on the menu.

"Hey, look everyone! Miss Jodie's back!" someone called out.

(raucous cheering)

Another person asked "How 'bout a round of milk!?"

(raucous laughter) *catcalls*X7

*wave* "Jus a moment fellas! Thank ya Elicia. Ah rilly 'preciate how ya covered fer me while ah was recovering."

"If you really appreciate me, how about some time off."

"Sure thing hun. Is two days good enough?"

. . "Are you sure you feel better? You're not delirious from fever, are you?"

"Would ya rather have jus one then?"

"Two-days-it-is-See-you-in-the-morning-Bye!" She then rushed herself out, nearly as quickly as she rushed her response. In order to secure three full nights with the offered two days.

"Hey, what about me?" asks Jean, working the in bar.

"Ya know I cain' run tha shop all by my lonesome. You'll get yer time off when she's back."

"Now where were we? OH yes! (points at random patron) It's your turn." She beckons with her finger while heading toward a silver suite.

¤¤¤

That evening, while heading back to their usual inn, Pan the tigress tried to talk with her owner Rex about the brothel. "Master, the guild leader asked me to inform you about a special mission-"

"No missions while on our rest break. You know that. If we leave town the same day we arrive, we'll just burn ourselves out. Like a fire with no fuel."

Having been lightly scolded, she chose not to press the issue.

Just then they overheard a passing stranger discussing with his friend. "Not only is Jodie back in action, just for tonight she ain't charging anybody neither."

"Fuck off, Vanker. Yer just shittin me here."

*point* "Does this grin lie, my friend?"

The rat chuckled, "Sounds like your night has just been planned out, master."

¤¤¤

Several intimate cutscenes later..

Jodie, having had Rex's full attention for the last half-candle (approx. 40 minutes) finally asks him "Are ya here ta handle tha investigation also? Or are ma titties too much of a handful on their own?"

[No! Don't tell him! . . I guess he woulda found out eventually. Good thing I held onto my DP's after I saw him.]

"What investigation?"

"Well, then ya should ask tha guildmaster first. No sense in wastin alla those points."

"What's it about?"

"*sigh* 'S no secret anyways. A bit over a week ago, someone dug a tunnel up inta tha basement here. One o' ma slaves got took, tha fox 'at jus' came of age. Ah sent fer a couple o' guys ta check in on it an' followed 'em in. They got trapped an' crushed by fallin' rocks. Ah got injured by that maself. Soon as ah crawled back inta the basement, tha tunnel got closed up. Now ah'm sure it were a pretty decent mage doin 'at, an' tha second investigator agreed. That was all over a week ago, so they seem they was waitin on you."

"Over a week already? Peh. Then they're long gone. Don't expect me to bring her back for you. But at least I could figure out what happened. Maybe start tracking down who dunnit.

But that's a tomorrow problem. Right now, do you have room for more of this?"

¤¤¤¤¤

Nothing else important happened that night with anyone already involved with the brothel investigation. So long as you consider several very intimate encounters as unimportant.